Jackie Beardsley Is Now PR County Extension Agent

The new MSU-Extension agent for Powder River County is a familiar face to locals, as Jackie Beardsley has taken over for Mary Rumph and Julie Riley, following their retirement.

Jackie grew up in Biddle on a cow/calf operation at the Rumph ranch, while also spending plenty of time in the MSU-Extension office as a child, as her mom, Mary Rumph, worked as an agent.

Growing up around 4-H and the Extension program meant that Jackie should have made a good fit for being an extension agent, but as a teenager she was not quite so sure. We talked to her Monday, on her first day on the job.

"At age 15, while helping move chairs at a 4-H volunteer, I was quoted as saying I would never be an extension agent," she joked as she commented on her path to becoming an agent.

Beardsley graduated from PRCDHS in 2009.

In 2013, Jackie completed her Bachelors degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. There she studied Family Consumer Sciences and Dietetics. In 2020 she completed her Masters at MSU-Bozeman, receiving a degree in Family Consumer Sciences and Health and Human Development.

From there, Jackie started a job in February of 2014 for MSU-Extension as the Family Consumer Science agent out of Yellowstone County. She stayed in that position for eight years.

In 2022, an opportunity arose to move closer to home, and Jackie took a position as the FCS agent in Custer County.

Jackie is married to James Beardsley; the couple also has a four year old son.

While in Miles City, Jackie spent a lot of time coordinating with other Southeast Montana agents, furthering her education into other fields that fall under the MSU-Extension banner, such as the 4-H program and community development. She also worked to manage the Custer County Fair and its plethora of exhibits.

That experience would prove valuable as she moves back to Powder River County, where Jackie will take on the full mantle of projects – everything from the FCS, 4-H, and youth development portions of the job, but also working in community development, as well as agriculture and natural resources.

The partnerships made with other agents, as well as her decade of experience as an agent, will prove valuable to her new position as she grows in the profession.

Beardsley recently returned from the OREO trip to Cody, Wyoming, where she coordinated with other extension agents from the area to take 47 Southeast Montana kids on a trip featuring activities such as rafting, hiking, visiting the Buffalo Bill Museum, and the Cody Night Rodeo.

She joins Kelda Page, Administrative Assistant at the Broadus office, and now looks to coordinate the Powder River County Fair, coming up later this month, while situating herself in the office where she once scampered around as a youth.

"I'm excited to be here, and to be a part of the community again," she commented.